Los Angeles Lakers veteran shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has taken a lot of flack for what has been a less than stellar start for him this season. For his part, however, teammate Dwight Howard has shown his all-out support for his embattled co-Laker by sending out a message of encouragement via Instagram. Fellow teammates LeBron James and Anthony Davis also followed through.

Dwight Howard, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

There's no denying that Caldwell-Pope has been pretty awful to start the new season, with the 26-year-old struggling to get things going in his third year with L.A. The former eighth overall pick is currently averaging 6.2 points (on 39.0 percent shooting), 2.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.7 steals. For some perspective, KCP has not been this unproductive and inefficient since his rookie year.

It was a different story for Caldwell-Pope on Friday, though, as he was given a spot start in the wake of Avery Bradley's injury. KCP stepped up when his number was called, going off for what was easily his best game of the season. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard logged a season-high 16 points (on 6-of-10 shooting), three 3-pointers, three rebounds, and a steal, as well as some crucial plays down the stretch for L.A.

As for Howard, the veteran big man has been very impressive for the Lakers thus far. Not only has he been a spark off the bench, but the much-improved attitude he has exhibited is slowly earning him the respect and admiration of the Lakers faithful. His recent show of support for Caldwell-Pope is indeed a representation of how Howard has embraced the role of being a team player.